Kathy Reichs

“Tell me why, Been. Why would you trick us in the first place?" Ben stopped pacing. Looked directly at me. "Don't you know?'I shook my head,confused."To impress you, Victoria Brennan." His voice cracked. "I wanted you to think that I was special."The words rocked me.Oh, Ben."He'd started this madness... for me?'You were spending all that time with Jason," Ben said softly, staring at his shoes. "skipping around town with your new perfect guy. Cotillion this. fund-raiser that. I hated it. Hated him. When I finally told Rome, he said that I needed to amaze you. Said I needed to figure out a way to make you see me.”

“I needed him here like I needed a yeast infection.”

“I hated myself for needing him at such times, for craving his strength whenever I felt upset.”

“He looked like a man on his way to a prostate exam.”

“Remember, I might be the wind, but you control the kite.”

“Hey, check this weirdo out." Hi was inspecting a bust on the mantel. "This face is ninety percent eyebrow. What do you want to bet he owned slaves?"Scowling to match the carving's expression, Hi spoke in a gravelly voice. "In my day, we ate the poor people. We had a giant outdoor grill, and we cooked up peasant steaks every Sunday."”

“Jason shot to his feet, nostrils flaring. Ben stopped dead.The cafeteria went still. Everyone watched the boys square off."Im not a violent person, Blue." Jason bit off the words. "But Ive had enough of your mouth. Ill kick your ass right here."Ben's jaw tightened. "You think so, rich boy?""You heard me." A vein was bulging in Jason's neck. Ben's breathing quickened. The tiniest spark of gold flickered in his irises. My stomach backflipped. Oh my God! He's going to flare! "Get him out of here!" I hissed at Shelton and Hi. "Hurry!"Recognizing the danger, Hi jumped to his feet, planted both hands on Ben's chest and pushed him towards the door, whispering, "Use your head, use your head, use your head!"Ben tried to hold his ground, but Shelton joined the effort. "Get it together! People are watching. Dont lose control!"Slowly, the duo managed to back Ben away, but his glare never strayed from Jason. At the exit, Ben shrugged free, and stalked down the hall alone.I took my first breath since Jason stood.Crisis averted, but only barely.”

“Im studying jerkoffs in the wild," Ben answered dryly. "This seemed like a good chance to view one up close.”

“Most Bolton students were scions of the city's wealthiest families. My crewe stuck out like hooker at church. We werent part of their pampered, priveliged world, and many of our classmates were quick to remind us of that fact. Taunting the "boat kids" was practically a varsity sport.”

“Whitney smacked Coop's snout while simultaneously pressing herself deeper into the couch. Coop fixed her with an unblinking ice-blue stare, gray-brown fur bristling along his spine. "Tory!" Whitney squealed. "He's going to attack!""Maybe." I walked into the kitchen and snagged a Diet Coke from the fridge. "Try to protect your throat.”

“We caught him," I said. "Thats the fun part." For us, at least. I doubt the fish would agree.”

“As a pirate, she once undressed a fencing instructor using only her sword!”

“I see you, Ben. I always have. You're in my pack."He pulled away."What if being packmates isn't enough for me?”

“Tory a father isn’t supposed to fear his fourteen-year-old daughter. That being said, you terrify me.”

“Ben yanked Hi sideways as spikes snapped from the wall…Once again, only Ben’s reflexes had saved him. “Please stop doing that!” Ben barked. “Please keep doing that!” Hi warbled.”

“We did just leave an insane asylum,” Hi agreed. “For all we know, Chance spend his nights dancing naked with sock puppets, plotting to invade Canada.”

“I’m adding ‘canine’ to my searches,” I said. “And ‘instinct.’” “Whatever. I’m adding ‘lunatic.”

“Fine. Everybody wears seatbelts. No radio. No distractions.” Ben shot Hi a stern look. “No running commentary.” “Your loss,” Hi said. “To the pimp ride!”

“Ben locked his eyes on mine for a long moment. Then, “How?” “How do you think?” I smiled, then slapped him full across the face”

“Ahh! Lady Pillows. So much fluffier than mine.” He took a giant whiff. “Why does everything girlie smell so delightful?” “Because we acknowledge the importance of basic hygiene. And periodically clean our bathrooms.” “Brilliant. I should write that down. After all, it takes a village.”

“I have a cotillion event. Some yacht-club charity fundraiser thingy. Whitney is insisting, and Kit took her side.” Three wide smiles. “Oh shut up.”

“Observing Ben’s struggle, Hi scratched his chin. Glanced at me. Shrugged. Then he quietly slipped around behind Ben. And, without ceremony, kicked him in the ass. Hard”

“Amazing.” Hi stripped off his shirt, wrung it out. “Score one for your honker.” “Thanks, I think.” I cocked my chin at Hi’s substantial midsection. “Nice abs.” “Yeah, I work out twice a month. No expectations. But stop hitting on me, it’s embarrassing.”

“You'll start talking, and pretty soon we'll all start nodding, and then the next thing you know, I'm hang gliding off the Eiffel Tower at night, being chased by ninja vampires”

“Hiram!' Shelton ran to Hi's side. 'Aren't you you bleeding? I thought she shot you!''Red wine. When I saw it running everywhere, I played dead.' He winced as Shelton poked his belly. 'But I'm not leaping off any more shelves. That was pretty stupid.”

“Though a good cop, Luc Claudel has the patience of a firecracker, the sensitivity of Vlad the Impaler, and a persistent skepticism as to the value of forensic anthropology.Snappy dresser, though.”

“You all right now?""I'm exceptional. Wonderful. Thanks for the concern. You complete me.”

“An elite confederacy of nerds. My peeps”

“Let's do it. Monkeys are always funny. You pretty much can't go wrong with a monkey, right? Hi paused. Well unless that monkey wants you dead, or does needle drugs or something. Then it's wrong, and a bad monkey.”

“Though Anne was born in Alabama and schooled in Mississippi, she had traveled North, and, like many Southerners, gained a theoretical understanding of the concept of cold. But the mind is an overprotective parent. What it doesn't care for, it hides. Like many inhabiting the subtropics, Anne had repressed the reality of subzero mercury. ”

“Baravetto was unconscious when we found him," Hi said. "What'd you do to the guy?""Kicked him in the balls, then brained him with a rolling pin. Twice.”

“Chance wore a white tuxedo with tails. On anyone else? Doopy. On him? Yes, please.”

“Why do all your brilliant ideas involve felonies?”

“I can't believe you jokers fixed it." Hi was picking his way down to the beach."Believe it, clown. Too much brain power here to fail." Still pumped, Shelton threw another palm Ben's way."Oh, I'm sure." Hi streched, yawned. "It was something highly technical, I suppose? Something requiring mechanical ability? Nothing as simple as tightening a wire or flippin a switch, right?"Ben reddened. Shelton developed an intrest in his sneakers.Score one for Hi.”

“Parallel tough-guy nods. Man fix boat! Man be strong!"What now?" I asked, hoping to divert the two from actually beating their chests.”

“God help anyone who messes with the Virals!”

“Who's going to rob us? A crackhead crab? A jellyfish junkie?”

“Today he wore a burnt-orange shirt, black pants, and a tie that looked like a street fight at the south end of the color wheel.”

“She wanted to feel safe. Untouchable in her home. The ultimate female fantasy.”

“Booth: "You're a smart ass, you know that?"Brennan: "Objectively I'd say I'm very smart, although it has nothing to do with my ass.”

“Death in anonymity is the ultimate insult to human dignity.”